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FLOWERS ARE GOD'S MESSENGERS OF BEAUTY TO HUMAN 
HOUSEHOLDS." 



FARM LIBRARY 



No, i. Frl€© f to Cents. 




owers 



IN 




ter. 



How to have Beautiful Flowers in the House. One 

Pot of Geranium. Flower Stand. Window 

Garden. Fernery, etc. 



^By EBEN E. REXFORD. 



December 24, 1881 



PUBLISHED BY E. H. LIBBY, CHICAGO. 






COPYRTGIIT, 1881, BY E. H. LiBBY. 



Farm Library. 



NUMBER ONE. 



Flowers in Winter : 



EBEN E* REXFORD. 



/ 2 

^7 



How to have Beautiful Flowers in the House. One Pot 

of Geranium. Flower Stand. Window 

Garden. Fernery, etc. 



\w / 






CHICAGO : 
PUBLISHED BY E. H. LIBBY. 

1881. 



^ 



The " Farm Library " is an attempt to furnish, in com- 
pact form, at a uniform low price, the known facts of farm 
experience and scientific investigation, for the benefit of that 
large class who have neither time, inclination nor opportunity 
to read and study the many valuable, exhaustive books on these 
subjects, and which are not fully treated of in single issues of 
agricultural journals. The subjects will be written up byZ 
experienced, practical and scientific men. Each number of the 
series will be complete in itself, and confined closely to the sub- 
fed in hand, and contain no "discussions" of mooted points . 
A prospectus of the library will be found on another page. 



INTRODUCTION, 



The object of this little brochure, is to afford in condensed, prac- 
tical shape, sufficient knowledge of the requirements of such plants 
as can be grown and flowered successfully in the Winter in the 
house and the home conservatory, and the care they require to 
enable the amateur to cultivate them with pleasure and satisfaction 
to herself and friends. 

If she succeeds in cultivating plants in such a way that they 
afford pleasure, she will be cultivating them profitably, for there 
is profit in every healthful pleasure, and no pleasure is more 
healthful than that which comes of taking care of plants. The 
exercise involved is restful, because of the change from ordinary 
work about the house. It is educational, because, any one who 
grows plants because he or she really loves them, — and no one else 
can grow them with any marked success, — must become interested 
in the growth and development going on day by day, and thus a 
closer study of the plant life will begin, and once begun, it will be 
quite likely to be continued, for it is full of fascination. 

Let the man or woman who does not care particularly for 
flowers, — who, in fact, does not know one from another,— go into a 
room where the windows are full of healthy flowering plants, and 
he will be impressed with the beauty of them at once. He may 
not be aware that the influence which he feels is exerted by the 
flowers he knows nothing about, but he will be conscious that 
the influence — come from where it will,— is an agreeable one. If 
they can afford the indifferent observer pleasure, how much more 
intense will be the pleasurable effect they exert upon the minds of 
those who know and love them. For plants grown in the house- 
hold, the family soon comes to have a friendship which is entirely 

3 



4 INTRODUCTION. 

worthy of the name. They seem members of the family. The 
death of one is an affliction, and it is missed and mourned sin- 
cerely. To those who care nothing for flowers, this may seem an 
extravagant statement, but those who love flowers, — and for those I 
am writing— will understand me, and bear me out in the truth of 
the assertion. 

There is nothing which will afford so much beauty, at so little 
cost, as a window full of flowers. They furnish your room for you, 
so that the lack of expensive furniture is unnoticed. They give it 
an aspect of cheer and comfort. Go where you find flowers grow- 
ing, and you will find kind hearts and hospitality. Mark that. 

It is not proposed to set forth, in the following pages, a set of 
rules from which no departure can safely be made, or which, closely 
followed, will always lead to success in the culture of flowers. It 
is my design to tell how I have grown such plants as I write about 
with satisfaction to myself, and to offer hints which will be of assist- 
ance to those who would like to grow flowers, but are afraid of 
failure, because of a lack of knowledge and experience in their 
cultivation. 



TH£ BEGINNING, 



Preparations for Winter Culture. 




F you have no garden to procure plants from for 
use in the house during Winter, and you can not 
obtain any from your friends, of course money 
will procure plenty from the greenhouse. But 
most greenhouse plants do not stand the change 
well from their old quarters to the living-room. 
They look well when they are brought home, but soon the 
leaves will turn yellow and fall, and buds will blast. The 
plant loses its healthy look, and you wonder what the 
matter is. 

Well, the matter usually is: the air of your room is so 
much dryer than that the plant has been accustomed to 
that it suffers and sickens by the change. If you procure 
plants from the greenhouse, be very careful to keep them 
in moist air for several days after bringing them home. Let 
them get used to the change gradually. Keep the tempera- 
ture as nearly like that they have grown in as possible, and 
let them have plenty of fresh air, and morning sunshine, 
sprinkling morning and night; they will soon adjust them- 
selves to their new quarters. In selecting plants from the 
greenhouse, choose those which have a stocky, robust habit, 
rather than tall, slender-growing ones. A plant which has 
been forced into unnatural growth is never desirable. It is 
advisable to get your plants quite early in the Fall that they 
may become accustomed to their new home before the 
season for blooming begins. 

In growing your own plants, those from which flowers 

5 



6 FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

are expected during the Winter months should not be suffered 
to exhaust themselves by Summer and Fall blooming. It is 
useless to expect much from such as have been allowed to 
bloom throughout the season. In order to have plenty of 
flowers in the Winter, we must manage it in such a way that 
our plants rest during the Summer and Fall, if possible, and 
start into vigorous growth with the beginning of Winter. 
If we can accomplish this, we succeed in one thing neces- 
sary to the well-doing of plants in Winter time. 

I find that I can control my plants much better, during 
the Summer, if I keep them in pots. If you plant them out 
in the open ground, they will grow rampantly, and when 
cold weather is near at hand, and you have to lift them, 
very many of the roots will unavoidably be injured, and the 
change from the ground to pots is so abrupt that the plant 
suffers a shock to its nervous system that it takes it a long 
time to recover from. Before it has become established in 
its new quarters, it will be necessary to remove it to the 
house, and here comes in another severe change, which 
always tells on plants in a greater or less degree, and which 
will be especially marked on a plant which has but recently 
undergone the ordeal of transplanting. 

By keeping your plants in pots you have them where 
you can manage them more easily, and very much more 
satisfactory. You can withhold water, and retard the growth 
if it promises to be too rapid, The growth of plants in pots 
is always slower than in the open soil, and by a proper 
regulation of the amount of water given, you have the 
growth of your plant pretty much under control. Plants in 
pots can be pinched in whenever such treatment is demand- 
ed, and thus a much better shaped plant can be grown 
than will be likely to be the case with plants lifted from the 
garden beds, and trimmed at the time of potting. As the 
pot-grown plant is obliged to undergo none of the severe 
changes which the plant grown during the Summer in the 



THE PREPARATION. 7 

open ground must, if potted for house use, it will be in a 
much better condition to begin Winters work than the other. 

It is a good plan to start plants in Summer to furnish 
Winter flowers. Insert cuttings in clear sand, kept thorough- 
ly saturated with water, and placed in some warm place. 
They will soon start into growth, and in two or three weeks 
can be put into small pots. It is never advisable to remove 
from the cutting box to large pots. Better repot frequently, 
as the soil in the pot becomes filled with roots. You can 
easily tell by inverting the pot, holding your hand about the 
plant, and giving the pot a little rap against something. 
The ball of earth will slip out, and you can tell if the plant 
needs a larger pot by the condition the roots are in. If they 
have grown to the side of the vessel, and formed a network 
between it and the soil, they need more room. If you can 
see only an occasional root here and there, it will be safe to 
leave the plant awhile longer in the same pot. In repotting 
change to pots only a size or two larger. 

Through the Summer, and during the warm weather in 
Fall, keep the plants on a moderately shaded verandah, or in 
some place sheltered from the full sun. Do not give 
much, if any, stimulation. Ai?n to keep the plant growing 
healthfully, and no more. If you give too large a pot, or too 
much water, or stimulation, the growth of the plant will be 
too vigorous in its early stages. Better to keep it going for- 
ward steadily, but slowly, now, and urge a more vigorous 
growth later. These hints, it will be borne in mind, are for 
the culture of flowers for Winter use, and do not apply to 
the culture of those from which bloom is desired through 
the Summer and Fall months. The aim of the treatment I 
am advising is to keep the plant as nearly in a state of rest 
as is compatible with health, if it is that kind of a plant 
which does not depend upon size or age for a supply of flow- 
ers ; to put off, in short, a vigorous growth until Winter, when 
flowers are wanted, for, with very many of our most desira- 
ble house-plants, flowers are only produced when vigorous 
growth is going on. 



WAYS ANP MEANS, 



The Room, and its Temperature ; Light; Protection 
Against Frost ; Stands for Plants; Brackets ; Soil ; 
Pots and Boxes. 




HERE is but little to be said about rooms in 
which flowers are grown, for if the room is not 
adapted to the healthy growth of plants, in very 
few cases will any important changes be made. 
We must take the room as, we find it, and adapt 
our plants to the place we have for them. 
A good room in which to grow plants is one having win- 
dows opening south and east, with moderately high ceiling. 
If the windows do not look south or east, do not be dis- 
couraged. There are many plants which do well in windows 
with a northern aspect, and any bit of greenery in the depth 
of Winter is a pleasure to the eye, and affords a delightful 
contrast to the cheerlessness outside. If you have a room, 
no matter how poor, from which you can exclude frost, keep 
a few plants. By care and attention you can grow them 
well, and their beauty will help to make you forget the 
room's bareness. I have seen more beautiful flowers in the 
houses of the poor than in the houses of the rich. 

You should aim to give your plants all the fresh air pos- 
sible, even in midwinter. But in doing this, avoid drafts of 
cold air directly over or among the plants. Open a window 
or door at some distance from the plants, and let the air 
lose its frosty edge before it reaches them. Plants need air 
as much as persons do, and will not thrive well in a close 



TEMPERATURE.— MOISTURE. 9 

room. Two or three times a day is not too often to admit 
fresh breathing food. 

The temperature of the room will vary, of course, but it 
is advisable to keep it as even as possible. If I were to 
advise keeping it at 60 degrees, or 75, it would make no 
difference with most persons : they would keep such a tem- 
perature as was most agreeable to them. So, while I merely 
say that a temperature of 60 or 65 is one suited to most 
plants which it is advisable to attempt the cultivation of in 
ordinary rooms, I shall give a few hints about overcoming 
the bad effects of a too high temperature, and leave the cul- 
tivator to apply the remedy, or try to avoid the need of it. 

It is an excellent plan to keep a vessel of water standing 
on the stove all the time. The constant evaporation which 
takes place prevents the air from becoming too dry, and one 
of the greatest drawbacks to the cultivation of plants in 
living-rooms, successfully, is the dryness of the atmos- 
phere which almost universally prevails in them. Kitchen- 
grown plants are almost invariably healthier than those 
grown in the sitting-room, because the steam from cooking 
and washing keeps the air moist. It is also a good plan to 
sprinkle the plants well every morning. A moist atmos- 
phere has a tendency to keep down the red spider — the 
worst enemy we have to contend with — while a dry atmos - 
phere is his delight. In sprinkling, it is best to use a 
syringe with a fine rose nozzle. Thrust this among the 
plants, and give the underside of the leaves a wetting, as 
well as the upper, for on the lower side is where the spider 
will be found. When sweeping, it is advisable to cover 
plants with a newspaper, or light cloth, to keep off the dust 
which would settle upon them. Plants breathe, and if we 
would have healthy plants, we must not only furnish them 
with moist, fresh air, but keep their breathing apparatus in 
good order. If we allow the pores of the leaves to become 
clogged and stopped with dust, it has the same effect upon 



io FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

them as it does upon us if we prevent our lungs from per- 
forming their proper work. Once a week give your plants 
a more thorough showering than they are likely to get by 
the daily use of the syringe. Lay them on their sides in 
the sink, and pour a pailful or more of tepid water over 
them from some small vessel. See that all parts of them 
are washed free from dust. The labor required to give them 
this attention weekly, is not much, and the plants will 
amply repay you for it. Broad-leaved plants, like the Calla, 
Ficus elastica, Oleander, and the Ivy, can be washed with 
a sponge, if it is not convenient to remove them to the sink. 
Plants require all the light you can conveniently give 
them, in order to develop themselves perfectly. If you have 
plants at your windows, you don't need curtains. They are, 
in themselves, the most beautiful curtains you can have. 
So don't try to compromise between plants and the fashion- 
able window-drapery of to-day. You can not have both 
and have fine plants. Your curtains may be fine, but your 
plants will be sure to suffer from the exclusion of the light, 
and the yellow, spindling, flowerless appearance of plants 
which lack sufficient light is always painful to one who loves 
flowers. Take away your curtains, and let in all the sun- 
shine you can. It will do you good, as well as the flowers. 
We can not have too much of it, neither can they. The 
only curtain I would tolerate about a window in which I 
grew flowers, is a thick paper shade, which could be hung 
up on cold nights as a protection against frost. 

Most windows are put together so loosely that there are 
great cracks about the sash, and often the frames shrink 
and there is a crevice at every joint. In Fall, before the 
cold weather comes, go over the window thoroughly, and 
stop up every crack with putty. Over these cracks paste 
strips of cloth, and give the cloth a coating of paint, to pre- 
vent the loosening action of the frost. It is well to do this 
outside and in. One small crack may let in cold enough 



KEEPING WARM. " 

to injure your plants severely, if not kill them. If they do 
not freeze, they may come so near it as to receive a check 
which is nearly as disastrous in its results as freezing would 
be. If the doors opening out of the room fit loosely in 
their frames, tack listing upon their edges until they fit 
snugly enough to keep out all cold drafts of air. Re-paper- 
ing the room will often lead to the discovery and removal 
of crevices which would admit a large amount of cold. In 
most houses it would be impossible to keep plants through 
the Winter without keeping fire at night. A coal-fire is the 
best, in one respect, for it needs no attention during the 
night, and is steady and to be depended on. Where wood 
is used, you must be very careful to fill the stove well be- 
fore going to bed, and it is sometimes— indeed, quite often, 
—necessary that you should get up in the night and fill it 
again. But you may not wake up at the right time, so it is 
important that you should take every precaution to make 
the room snug and as nearly frost-proof as possible. A 
newspaper pinned over the plants is often the means of 
saving them from being nipped. 

An oil-stove with, heater top, is an excellent assistant 
in keeping out frost. It is economical, and safe, and z good 
one will be sufficient protection against cold in a snug room 
which can be closed tightly. But, before trusting your 
plants to its protection, be sure to test your stove and find 
out what its heating power is. Try it in some cold room and 
if it works well there, you can trust to it in your sitting- 
room. 

The most convenient stands for plants are those made 
of iron, with castors. Most of them are adjustable, and can 
be used in half circle, or round, by opening or closing the 
standards upon which the brackets are. One of ordinary 
size will hold a dozen plants, and no window should be 
asked to accommodate more than that. In a cold night, 
they can be wheeled away from the window, to some warmer 



12 FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

place. Any stand should have castors for the convenience 
and ease of moving it as occasion requires. I prefer stands 
arranged with shelves, to flat, table-like stands, for the 
reason that plants arranged in rows of different height 
present a greater surface of flower and foliage to the eye, 
and can be more effectivetely grouped and displayed. If 
the stand is turned daily, those on the lower rows will 
receive sufficient light. If your stand is in the form of a 
circle, you can arrange your plants to form a pyramid of 
verdure, and the effect will be fine from indoors or out. 
You can have brackets fastened to the window-frame to 
afford support for pots containing vines. The swinging 
brackets, lately introduced, are excellent things for support-* 
ing plants of moderate size. You can get brackets which 
will hold from one to three or four plants, and these can be 
swung back from the glass at night. They are very 
satisfactory for holding pots of vines which climb or droop. 

Of course the stand will depend largely upon the pocket 
and the inclination of the cultivator. If one of the more 
ornamental and convenient stands can not be procured, an 
old table will do If you really care for flowers, you will 
arrange for the care of them, and you can have just as fine 
ones on an old box as you could have if you had a $15 
stand to grow them on. 

A great many persons think the successful cultivation 
of plants is attended with difficulty because of the trouble 
involved in obtaining a soil suited to the requirements of 
each kind. 

Now, while it is true that many kinds require a soil 
especially adapted to their peculiarities, most kinds which 
it is advisable to attempt to cultivate in the house, will 
flourish excellently in a soil which is easily prepared, and 
this soil needs but little variation from the original propor- 
tions of it, as prepared in quantities to fit it for the use of 
such plants as I shall recommend for house-culture. 



SOIL.-POW. 13 

I take one-third leaf-mold, if I can get it, one-third 
turfy matter from under the sods in old pastures, and the 
other third is made up of equal parts of ordinary garden- 
soil and sharp sand. If I can not get leaf-mold, I use 
soil obtained in the corners of the fence of the barnyard. 
This will generally be rich, and black, but it may require an 
admixture of a little more sand to make the preparation 
light and porous as it would be if leaf-mold were used. I 
believe in the use of a generous quantity of sand, for the 
reason that it makes the soil light, and allows the admission 
of air to the roots, while it makes it easy for the surplus 
water to work its way through the soil, and out through the 
bottom of the pot. For geraniums, heliotropes, verbenas, 
petunias, carnations, coleus, and all kinds of hanging plants, 
I make no attempt to vary the mixture from the proportions 
I have named. For roses and ivies, I leave out about half 
of the turfty matter, and put in garden mold, because these 
plants like a rather stiffer and more compact soil than such 
plants as geraniums do. For very fine-rooted plants, like 
azaleas, I would put in peat, if I could get it, in place of 
leaf-mold and garden soil. But, as I have said, for most of 
the plants which will succeed well in the air of the living- 
room, this soil will answer better than any other I have ever 
tried ; and it is one which has the merit of being easy to 
prepare. 

As to the respective merit of pots or boxes, I would say 
that I have tried both, and I have never been able to see 
much, if any difference in the growth of plants in them. I 
prefer pots, because they are more easily handled and kept 
clean, and are more durable. But if the pots can not be 
obtained, you may feel confident of as good results from the 
use of a box. If pots are used, dorit paint them, as many 
do. The more porous a pot is, the better, and your coat 
of paint fills up the pores and keeps out the air, and keeps 
the water in. Of course the greater share of surplus water 



14 FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

will drain off at the bottom, and there will be an evaporation 
from the surface of the soil, but, if the pot is not painted, 
there will be a slow evaporation from the entire surface of it, 
and this will be more conducive to the health of the plant 
than a drain from the bottom and evaporation from the 
surface of the soil, only, would be. The roots need air, as 
I well as the leaves, and they can obtain considerable through 
the sides of a pot. 

No pot, box, or other vessel, should be used to grow 
plants in unless it has a place for drainage. It seems to be 
hard for most amateurs to realize the necessity of draining 
the soiL If a farmer has a piece of wet land, he drains it ; 
then the soil retains all the moisture it needs, and the 
surplus is carried away, and the hitherto worthless land 
becomes-valuable. It is on this principle that we work in 
providing drainage for plants. If there is no drain, the soil 
sours, because of too great a quantity of stagnant water, and 
the plant it contains sickens and dies. Provide a drain, and 
the soil gets rid of what water it does not need, and there is 
little danger of damaging a plant by too profuse watering, 
occasionally. Sg, in potting plants, a/ways put in an inch 
or two of broken-brick or crockery at the bottom of the pot, 
with a little moss, if at hand, between this and the soil, to 
prevent its washing down and filling up the cracks. 




TH£ 0£AUTIES COMPARED, 



What Plants to Grow in the House. 




(OST amateur florists undertake too much. 
They would like a large collection, and they 
want choice kinds, like those they see in 
conservatories belonging to wealthy people. 
After several years of experience, I have 
come to the conclusion that we have but a 
comparatively small list of plants which it is advisable for 
the amateur to select from, for ordinary window culture. 
* As he or she gains in experience, and becomes familiar with 
the requirements of the plants under his or her care, it will 
do to "branch out." Plants which they would have failed 
with, at the beginning, they may succeed with later. It is 
better, in this, as in most other undertakings, to go slowly. 
Learn how to take care of a few less particular plants before 
you undertake to care for some which require more careful 
treatment. 

Let us suppose that you have but one window in which 
to grow to plants. You want flowering kinds, for the most 
part, and you can not have more than a dozen in all, unless 
your window is a large one, for it is far more satisfactory to 
have a few plants with room for development, than a large 
number crowded together until all individuality is lost in a 
confused mass of foliage. Shall I select for you ? Well, my 
first choice is the Geranium, because it is one of the most 
easily cared for plants that we have, and it is one of the 
most free flowering; and its foliage is always bright and 

l 5 



1 6 FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

vigorous. There are other plants that I prefer to the 
geranium, but under the supposed circumstances, none that 
I would more unhesitatingly recommend. It is sure to do 
well if not shamefully neglected. It is the flower for the 
million. The particular varieties I would leave you to 
select for yourself. I think I would first choose a scarlet. 
The variety called Herald of Spring is my favorite among 
the scarlets. But there are dozens of others which you 
might consider equally as fine, possibly finer ; and where 
there are so many to select from it is not of much use to 
name one particular variety. I would select the single 
geranium for Winter culture, because the double varieties 
do not bloom freely beyond November. To my mind, the 
single kind are handsomest. If you want a pink variety, 
one that is almost always in bloom, you can not do better 
than to take Master Christine. It is a beautiful, soft rose 
color, marked with white, and blooms profusely. You can 
suit your taste about color, for we have geraniums in all 
shades of scarlet and crimson, pink, salmon, magenta, and 
white. The " nosegay," or dwarf, geraniums are better for 
small collections than the larger growers, for, while the 
plant is dwarfish, the flowers are as large and profuse as 
those on the more robust kinds. Of course you want a rose 
geranium. No collection is complete without it. It will fill 
the room with fragrance, and if you want a leaf for your 
hair, or foliage for bouquets, it has just what you want. It is 
a vigorous grower, and makes a most beautiful plant. So 
delicate and graceful is its foliage that it needs no flowers 
to make it a prime favorite. While flowering geraniums do 
better if kept somewhat pot-bound during the Winter, if bloom 
is wanted, yet this and all other kinds of geraniums, and, 
in fact, all plants grown for foliage alone, should have plenty 
of root-room, for we must encourage vigorous growth to 
have the plants afford the best satisfaction. 

Then, you want at least one Heliotrope. This favorite 



THE PLANTS WANTED. i 7 

flower will bloom all through the Winter, and though not 
showy, its fragrance and its modest beauty make it a general 
favorite. It likes a warm and sunny place. We have 
varieties with purple flowers, some with lavender, and 
others with nearly pure white flowers. All are fragrant. It 
is easily cared for, and deserves the place next to the 
geranium. 

You want a Calla. It would be well worth cultivating if 
it did not bloom, because of its large, fine leaves, borne on 
stalks from a foot and a half to three feet high, giving the 
plant a tropical appearance. When we add to the attractive 
foliage, its large trumpet-shaped white flowers, with their 
delightful fragrance, we have one of the finest and most 
desirable plants in the entire list of kinds suitable for 
house-culture. It requires a large amount of water, and 
the pot should stand in a deep saucer which is never 
allowed to get empty. Let the water given it be as warm 
as you can bear on your hand. Keep the leaves clean, and 
put it in a warm place, and you will be delighted with it, 
for it will be constantly sending up new leaves and flowers. 
For the decoration of rooms, for instance the corner of a 
parlor, or before a pier-glass, it is hard to find a finer plant 
than a well-grown specimen of the Calla in vigorous growth, 
with two or three fully developed flowers. Perhaps it may 
not be generally known that what we call the flower is not 
so, but a sheath surrounding and protecting the spadix in 
which minute flowers cluster. If you have a round stand, 
with shelves, the calla is just the plant you want for the 
center. 

You will want a Carnation or two. The two best va- 
rieties are La Purite, and President De Graw, the former a 
deep, beautiful carmine, the latter pure white. Charles 
Sumner is a fine variety, of a bright rose color. Astoria is 
yellow, edged and splashed with scarlet and white. This 
plant should be pinched in well during Summer and early 



1 8 FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

Fall, to make it strong and bushy. They will bloom all 
Winter, and are among our most valuable plants for the 
house. 

One of our most easily grown and free flowering plants 
is the Abutilon, more commonly known as Flowering Maple. 
It has a pendulous bell-shaped flower, usually yellow, veined 
with crimson, and its foliage is very pleasing. It is a con- 
stant bloomer, and makes a fine large plant. There is a 
variegated variety, Thompsonii, the leaves of which are 
beautifully mottled with yellow, which is one of our most 
valuable foliage plants. It also blooms well. 

Begonias, of the flowering section, though liking a rather 
warmer room than the plants I have named, flourish well in 
a mixed collection. Weltoniensis, a bright pink variety, is 
a profuse bloomer, and has very rich green foliage. Rich- 
ardsonii, has pure white flowers, produced in large panacles. 

For the early part of Winter, you want sortie Chrysan- 
themums. After blooming, they can be placed in the 
cellar and their places filled with other plants. The 
varieties are so numerous, and all so good, that it is hardly 
worth while to name any particular ones. You want a 
white one, and a yellow one, if you have but two. 

From the plants I have named you can select a dozen 
which will fill your stand, and give you complete satisfaction. 
Of course you want an Ivy to train about the window, and 
I would advise you to train with it a plant of the variegated 
Cobea. This plant has leaves of a pale, pea- green, edged 
with pure white, forming a delightful contrast to the dark 
of the Ivy. I have not advised the selection of the Fuchsia, 
because it does not generally bloom well in Winter and the 
space it would occupy had better be given to some plant 
which blooms more freely. If you care to add a plant for 
foliage, which is easily grown, and always attractive, choose 
a Ficus elastica — the India rubber plant. It has very large, 
shining leaves, and withstands the effect of dry air and dust 



MAKING SELECTIONS. 19 

as well as the Geranium. A well-grown specimen is very 
valuable for decoration purposes, when used alone. The 
Dracenas are also worthy of a place in any collection. They 
have long and narrow grass-like leaves, and fill in well 
among other plants, when used on stands, and are useful 
as single specimens. 

If you have room for more plants, try a variety or two 
of Bouvardia. Elegans, carmine, and candidissima, pure 
white, are the best. 

The Cyclamen is a valuable little plant. To grow it 
well, you should give it a soil containing a liberal quantity 
of peat and well-rotted cow-manure. 

Another valuable Winter-flowering plant is the Eupator- 
ium. It is of peculiarly graceful growth, and is just the 
plant for a bracket at the side of a window. Allow its 
branches to droop, and when they are covered with its 
feathery bloom you will consider it one of the finest of all 
plants for the house. 

The Petunia is desirable in any collection, because it is 
always in bloom profusely, and it can be depended on any- 
where. The more you cut its flowers the more you will 
have. It is fine for a basket when allowed to droop. 

Among plants desirable for a window where not much 
sun enters, try the Chinese Primrose, the Oxalis, Smilax, and 
the Lantana. The Laurestinus, is also a most desirable 
plant producing a profusion of pure white flowers. The 
Myrtle is well adapted to shaded windows, and Begonias 
do well there. 

For hanging plants, use Moneywort, Othonna, Smilax 
and Oxalis. This last plant will bloom profusely all Winter, 
and never fails to give satisfaction. Othonna also blooms 
freely. The principal cause of failure in growing hanging 
plants, is, they are not given a sufficient amount of water 
because it is rather difficult to get at them. The best plan 
is, to put them into a pail of water and leave them there 



20 FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

until the soil is thoroughly wet. This ensures a sufficient 
amount of moisture at the roots, and keeps the foliage clean 
and healthy. If you give *a little, now and then, without 
taking the baskets down, the plants soon suffer, because 
they hang in the upper and more drying atmosphere, and 
all sides of the pot or basket are exposed to the heated air, 
and evaporation is much more rapid than from the pots 
beneath. 

The reader of these hints may think I have named but 
few plants. But he or she must bear in mind that I am 
speaking of only those best adapted to use in the house in 
Winter. If I were writing of plants for all seasons the list 
could be greatly extended. The flowering kinds I have 
named are such as can be depended on, with proper care, 
to produce a constant supply of bloom from November to 
April. 




the; campaign, 



Enemies to be Conquered; Watering; Stimulation; 
Worms in the Soil. 




HE two principal enemies which plants have to 
contend with, in the insect line, are the red 
spider and the aphis, or green louse. The 
former, as I have previously said, delights in a 
dry atmosphere ; if you find him at work among 
your plants — and the first indication of his 
presence will be dry, brown spots on the leaves— you may 
be sure your plants have not been kept moist enough. If 
they are sprinkled daily, he will not put in an appearance. 
Be sure to wet the underside of the leaves. Water, used 
freely, will dislodge him. It is the onlv remedy. You can 
hardly see him, so small a creature is he, but a close 
inspection will show you something like grains of cayenne 
pepper. That is the spider. Drown him. 

The aphis will trouble the Carnation most of all. To- 
bacco smoke will rout him. Perhaps the head of the 
family can be induced to smoke for the sake of keeping 
your plants healthy. If he can, let him blow tobacco fumes 
through your plants every day. This, with a daily sprinkling, 
will generally keep the aphis down. If he gains a foothold, 
put a newspaper over your plants, and burn tobacco under 
it, on coals; or better, put your plants in a large box, and 
fill the box with smoke. After fumigating them, wash 
thoroughly to remove the stupified insects and to rid them 
of the smell of the tobacco. If the scale-bug attacks them, 



22 FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

remove him with a stick, and wash the leaves with weak 
soap-suds, after which rinse in clear water. But the scale- 
bug is not often found in small collections, and generally 
on such plants as the oleander, and lemon. Most of the 
plants I have advised are quite free from attacks of insects. 
If kept moist enough, there will be but little trouble from 
them. I have not advised the use of Monthly Roses because 
they are sure to be troubled by both spider and aphis, if 
they are about, and they are likely to lead to the injury of 
other plants in contact with them. They do not give very 
good satisfaction in ordinary rooms. 

My rule for watering all the plants I have spoken of, 
with the exception of the Calla, is, to wait until the surface 
of the soil looks dry. Then I water thoroughly. Let the 
water feel moderately warm to the hand. Never use cold 
water. It injures the tender roots. A little observation 
and experience will soon enable a person to tell when a 
plant needs water. Most amateurs give too much, and too 
frequently. Two, or three waterings a week are sufficient 
during the Winter. Twice a week will generally be found 
sufficient, in most rooms, if the air is kept moist enough. 

If the plants have been given fresh soil just before the 
beginning of Winter, it will not be necessary to stimulate 
them much. If they do not seem to be growing as well as 
they ought to, you can use Food for Flowers put up by the 
Bowker Fertilizer Co., and sold at most drug-stores, or add 
a few spoonsful of ammonia to a pailful of water once 
a week. This will keep the plants growing finely, and 
flowering well. The prepared " food " is better than any- 
thing I have used, except leachings from the barnyard, and 
this kind of stimulant is not available in Winter. Do not 
give enough to force your plants. You want to secure a 
vigorous and healthful growth, not an unnatural one. 

If you find small white worms in the soil, you can very 
easily get rid of them by dissolving a piece of unslaked lime> 



WORMS IN THE POT 23 

the size of a large tea cup, in a pail of water. Let the lime 
settle, and use the clear water only. This will not only 
expel the worms, but it will benefit the plants. If angle 
worms get in, turn the ball of earth out of the pot, and pick 
out the intruders with a fork or hair-pin. You will generally 
be able to find them in. the bottom and at the sides of* the 
pot. I am of the opinion that worms do not do half the 
damage they are suspected of doing, among healthy plants, 
for the plants do not seem to show signs of injury ffom their 
presence. When a plant sickens, and has decaying roots, 
you will find them in great quantities. So keep your plants 
healthy. 




the: window garden, 




F one does not care to grow several plants in 
separate pots, and yet must have flowers, she 
compromises on a window-box. You can get a 
box made the length of the window, and a foot 
and a half or two feet wide, very cheaply. If 
more than a foot in width, you will have to 
furnish some support for it other than that given by the 
window-sill ; and the box, in order to accommodate the 
quantity of plants usually put into it, ought not to be less 
than a foot and a half wide, and is all the better if wider. 
It should be eight or ten inches deep. The ornamentation of 
the sides can be whatever your taste and means will allow. 
In filling it, provide drainage, as in a pot. It is well to 
have a zinc bottom, a little lower at one corner than any- 
where else, to carry off any surplus water. The list of 
plants available for use in these boxes is quite large, and 
any of those I have named as desirable for house-culture 
can be used. 

One of the most tasteful arranagements of plants in 
window-boxes, that I have ever seen, belonged to a friend 
of mine. In the center she placed a Calla, growing in a pot 
by itself, in order that it might be given a greater supply of 
water than the other plants required. About it she planted 
Geraniums of the Master Christine variety. Around the 
edge of the box she set Eupatoriums, with here.and there a 
Heliotrope. The effect was charming; in the center the 
stately Calla, with large leaves and pure white blossoms, 
surrounded by pink Geraniums, the whole bordered with 

24 



THE HOUSE GARDEN. 25 

drooping branches of white flower-laden Eupatorium, 
contrasting beautifully with fragrant clusters of purple 
Heliotrope. 

Money-wort, Tradescantia, Othonna and Saxifrage are 
fine for planting about the edges of these boxes to droop. 
Petunias make a good border, as they droop well, and 
bloom profusely. Scarlet Geraniums and white Petunias go 
together well in a window-box. A Dracena, or India Rubber 
Plant makes a fine center plant, with scarlet Geraniums 
about it, the whole edged with Oxalis. I had a large, square 
box filled with Chrysanthemums, the tall-growing kinds in 
the center, and the dwarf varieties about the edge, that was 
greatly admired when in bloom. It was literally covered 
with flowers, and was a blaze of beauty for six weeks. 

Window-boxes are particularly well adapted for bulbs 
which it is desirable to bring into bloom in mid-winter. 
Use Hyacinths, Crocus, and a few Tulips. Plant them in 
November, and put the box in a cool cellar for a month. 
Then bring them to the light, and the leaves and flower- 
stalks will soon appear,, and all through January your bulb 
box will be gorgeous with color. Hyacinths are the most 
desirable of all bulbs for culture in the house, in Winter. 
The Lily of the Valley can be flowered easily, if'the pips are 
potted in November, and left out of doors, in some cold 
place, until about a month before their flowers are wanted. 
Freezing will not injure them. 




TH£ F£RN£RY, 




,ANY persons would like to grow ferns and 
other plants, that will not flourish in the dry 
air of the living-room. For such the fern- 
ery, or Wardian case, is advised. If the 
head of the household, or some of " the 
boys," are handy with tools, one can easily 
be made at home, at little expense, that will answer all the 
requirements of the plants it is to contain as well as the 
most expensive ones. The design will, of course, be such 
as suits the taste of the builder. He must aim to construct 
a case that will keep out dust, and keep in moisture. 
It should not be air-tight, as many imagine ; plants in a 
fernery must breathe, the same as those out of it. 

Most ferneries are too low. I would choose one higher 
than it is long or wide, containing room enough for the 
development of a good-sized fern. I would have fewer 
plants than is commonly seen in ferneries, and give each 
one more room. The effect is much better than when every 
thing is crowded together. 

Ferneries are especially adapted for use in windows 
having but little sun, because the plants that flourish in 
them love shade. About all the attention they require is 
to keep the air moist. As there is but little chance for 
evaporation, it is not necessary to water them often. 

The pan or box in which the plants are set should not 
be less than six inches deep. The plants do much better 
when their roots have a chance to go down, than they will 
in shallow dishes. Very pretty fern cases can be bought 

26 



OTHER PLANTS. 27 

cheaply, with terra-cotta bases, and I would prefer them 
to home-made ones. They look better, and are better, as a 
general thing. 

The best soil for ferneries is made of leaf-mould, silver 
sand and peat, in equal parts. Powdered charcoal is good 
to mix with the soil, as it keeps it pure and sweet. If you 
have not the material at hand for making the compost I 
have referred to, you can use soil from the edges of the 
the woods, where our native ferns are found growing luxu- 
riantly. Other ferns, and plants adapted to culture in 
ferneries, will do very well in this soil. 

If there should be moisture enough on the inside of the 
glass to hide the plants, open the case until most of it has 
evaporated. As long as there is a fair show of moisture on 
the glass, the plants do not need more water. 

Our native ferns can easily be transplanted from the 
woods to the fernery. Do not choose too large specimens ; 
rather select small ones, and watch their development. 
Place the larger growing kinds in the center and the smaller 
ones about them, and cover the soil with moss from the 
woods or plant lycopodium. 

Wintergreen, Gold Thread, Partridge-vine, Hepatica — 
any of these wildwood plants will flourish in the fernery. 
The Partridge-vine, or Mitchella, is especially desirable, 
because of its scarlet, berries, which give such a brilliant 
touch of color to the interior of the case. 

Begonias are well adapted for fernery use. So is Cissus 
discolor, with blood-red leaves and half creeping habit. The 
Rattlesnake plant, with dark green leaves veined with white, 
is a desirable plant. Begonia Rex, with its large, olive- 
green leaves, broadly banded with silvery white, is an excel- 
lent plant for the fernery. Marantas, Sellaginallas, Trades- 
cantias, Dracenas, Crotons and Fittonias can be used to good 
advantage; but don't try to use too many of them in a small 
case. Give each one room to grow and develop in, and it 



28 FLOWERS IN WINTER. 

will be sure to please you. If you cramp it above and 
below, it will be unable to show you what it would be capa- 
ble of doing under more favorable circumstances. 

Never attempt to grow Geraniums, Heliotropes, Carna- 
tions and the like in a fernery. They will be sure to dis- 
appoint you. 



I hope that the lovers of flowers will find some hints 
and suggestions which will be of benefit, in the preceding 
pages. I have written from practical experience. I have 
grown the flowers I have spoken of, successfully, and others 
may do the same. If you really care for flowers enough 
to study their habits and needs, you will succeed with 
them. 




Tlie Farm Library. 



Issued every week: 10 ets. a copy, $5.00 a year. Each number 
will contain 34 to 33 pages, be handsomely printed on good paper, 
and bound in an attractive cover. Many of the series will be illustra- 
ted. The following is a list of the numbers in course of preparation. 



No. 1. 

Flowers in Winter. 
How to have beautiful flowers in the 
house ; from one pot of geranium to the 
conservatory. By Eben E. Rexford. 

No. 2, 

The Flower Garden. 

How to have flowers in Summer. An- 
nuals, Bedding-Plants, Spring and Sum- 



mer Flowering 



No. 3. 



Bulbs 

_v Eben E. Rexford. 



The Flower Garden. 
Herbaceous plants, Shrubs, Vines and 
Native Ornamental Plants. 

By Eben E. Rexford. 

No. 4. 

The A i Poultry Book. 
" Fowls and Eggs." How to make Poul- 
try pay. By a successful poultrymam. 

No, 5. 

The A i Poultry Book. 
Artificial Hatching* Rearing* Fat- 
ting* Incubators and Mothers. 

No. 6 

The A i Poultry Book. 
Ducks* Geese* Turkeys* Pigeons. 

No. 7. 

The A i Poultry Book. 
Poultry Houses* Pens* Coops* Water 
Fountains* Feeding Boxes* Rests* etc. 

No. 8. 

Boys Poultry Book. 
A complete manual for the boys. By 
an old Boy. 

No. 9, 

Luscious Fruits. 
How to grow Strawberries, Blackberries 
and all small fruits for the tabic 

By 0. B. Galusha. 

No. 10. 

The Vegetable Garden. 
The Farm Garden ; the Kitchen Gar- 
den of the village, townsman and country 
resident. Bv One Who Knows. 



No. 11. 

Enemies to Flowers. 
In House and Garden. How to desttoy 
Lice* Mealy Bu^s and Scale* Red Spiders 
etc. By Prof. J. H. Comstock. 

No. 12. 

Br rad Destroyers. 
Chinch- Bug* Hessian Fly* Wheat 
Weevil. By Prof. Cyrus Thomas. 

No. 13. 

Cabbage and other Insects. 
By Prof. Cyrus Thomas. 

No. 14. 

Apple Insects. 
How to fight the destroyers of this 
great fruit crop. By a distinguished 
Entomologist. 

No. 15. 

Foes to Fruits. 
How to combat the insect foes of or- 
chard and garden fruits. 

No. 16. 

Garden Insects. 
How to fight them. 

No. 17. 

Small Fruits for Market. 
How to grow them for profit. By O. 
B. Galusha. 

No. 18. 

Corn. 
Most profitable systems of Corn grow- 
ing. By B. F. Johnson. 

No. 19. 

Wheat. 

The most wheat and the most dollars. 
By B. F. Johnson. 



Other numbers will be announced ia 
due order on The Horse. The Family 
Cow, Milk for Market and Dairy, Beef 
producing, The Sheep for Mutton and 
Wool, The Hog, The Dog, The Potato, 
Rye, Barley, Oats, Gardening, Sugar 
Production, The Cranberry, Hops, Taxi- 
dermy, Hunting, Fishing, etc., etc. 



For Sale by all Newsdealers and Book-sellers, or sent by mail at 
10 ets. per copy by the publisher 

E. H. LIBBY, Chicago, 111. 



profit iq Crop ppodncfsioii 

Is possible only when farmers keep fully posted 
in regard to the Markets and Condition of the 
Crops. Each recurring season proves the vast 
importance and incalculable value to. every farmer 
of reliable information of this kind. The " Farm- 
ers' Review " has over 1 ,000 correspondents— 
themselves farmers — from whom reliable crop 
reports are published weekly. No other paper 
in America does this. "Farmers' Review" is the 
only agricultural paper in the West employing a 
regular Market Editor. He is one of the most 
trusted and reliable commercial writers in the 
country. In practical Agriculture, Horticulture 
and Stock Farming it equals the best. Only $ 1 .50 
a year. Sample copy, for 3-cent stamp. 

FARMERS' REVIEW CO., 

Chicago, Ills. 



BOWKER'S AMMONIATED 

Food for Flowers. 



A Fertilizer made especially for Plants grown in the House, Garden or 

Conservatory ; clean, free from offensive odor, largely soluble in 

water, and producing Healthy Plants, free from Vermin, 

and early and abundant blossoms, to which it 

imparts a rich and brilliant color. 

PRICES: No. 1— Trial Package, sufficient for 20 Plants for three months, 
20 cents. Sent hy mail, postage prepaid, on receipt of price. No. 2— Regular 
Package, sufficient for 20 Plants for one year, 35 cents. Sent hy mail, postage 
prepaid, on receipt of price. 

Also sold hy Florists, Druggists and Seedsmen generally. If not obtainable 
where you live, do not accept an' imitation; hut send directly to us for a package hy 
mail. Two ten-cent pieces for the No. 1 size, or a 25 and a ten-cent piece for the 
No. 2 size, wrapped in thin paper and enclosed in a letter, will reach us safely. 

PRICE IN BULK. 

5 lbs., 50c. 10 lbs., $1.00. 50 Ihs., $2.50. 100 lhs., $5 00. 

Any quantity under 50 lhs. should he sent hy express. No charge for delivery 
to express or depot. 

TESTIMONIALS. 

(From W. C. Strong:, Ex-Presirtent of Massachnsetis Horticultural 
Society, ami a large grower of Flowers and Buses.) 

Newton. Mass., Oct. 11. 
Have nsed your Plant Fertilizers upon our roses in po s. We feel safe in saving 
that our plants have received very decided henetit. and are now in better condition 
thau we have ever had them at. this season. A most excellent condition of wood 
and roots has heen obtained. We are so much encouraged that we are now using 
it upon our rose borders for Winter forcing. W. C. STKOJSG. 

Owosso, Mich. 
I have used your Ammoniated Food for Plants, and find it all von represent. 
I had the nicest plants in Owosso last Winter, all due to the use of your Fertilizer. 

Mus. 0. E. S . 

Emporia. Kan. 
I have used a trial package of your Ammoniated Food for Flowers: it has given 
very satisfactory results. My plants look much greener and more healthy, and 
bloom more profusely since using it. Mus. M. 11 . 

Ravenna. O. 
The Fertilizer was just the best for geraniums of anything 1 have ever tried. 
There were leaves on a slip, started last Fall, which measured eight inches in 
diameter in May. E. J. FOOTE. 

Gallipolis, Gallta Co., O. 
Can recommend it as being satisfactory. Not only destroys the insects, but 
revives the Flowers. JOHN DUFOUK. 



B0WKER FERTILIZER COMPANY, 

84 Broad Street, New York. 

Or, 43 Chatham Street. Boston; Or, 81 Exchange St., Rochester, N.Y. 



Tlie Farm Library. 



Issued every week: 10 cts. a copy. $5.00 a year. Each number 
will contain 24 to 32 pages, be handsomely printed on jrood paper, 
and bound in an attractive eov«»r. Many of the series will be illustra- 
ted. The following is a list of the numbers in course of preparation. 



No. 1. 

Flowers in Winter. 
How to have beautiful flowers in the 
house; from ore pot of geranium to the 
conservatory. By Eben E. Rexford. 

No. a, 

The Flowrr Garden. 
How to have flowers in Summer. An- 
nuals, Bedding-Plants, Spring and Sum- 
mer Flowering Bulbs. 

Dy Eben E. Rexford. 

No. 3. 

The Flower Garden. 

Herbaceous plants, Shrubs, Vines and 
Native Ornamental Plants. 

By Eben E. Rexford. 

No. 4. 

The A i Poultry Book. 

" Fowls and Eggs." How to make Poul- 
try pay. By a successful poultrymam. 

No. 5. 

The A i Poultry Book. 

Artificial Hatching, Rearing, Fat- 
ting. Incubators and Mothers. 

No. 6 

The A i Poultry Book. 

Ducks, Geese, Turkeys, Pigeons. 

No. 7. 

The A i Poultry Book. 

Poultry Houses, Pens, Coops, Water 
Fountains, le ding Boxes, Rests, etc. 

No. 8. 

Boys Poultry Book. 
A complete manual for the boys. By 
an old Boy. 

No. 9. 

Luscious Fruits. 
How to grow Strawberries, Blackberries 
and all small fruits for the tabic 

By O. B. Galusha. 

No. 10. 

The Vegetable Garden. 
The Farm Garden ; the Kitchen Gar- 
den of the village, townsman and country 
resident. By One Who Knows. 



No. 11. 

Enemies to Flowers. 
In House and Garden. Howtodestroy 
Lice, Mealy Buqs and Scale. Red Spiders 
etc. By Prof. j. H. Comstock. 

No. 12. 

Brrad Destroyers. 
Chinch- Bug, Hessian Fly, Wheat 
Weevil. By Prof. Cyrus Thomas. 

No. 13. 

Cabbage and other Insects. 

By Prof. Cyrus Thomas. 

No. 14. 

Apple Insects. 
Hiw to fight the destroyers of this 
great fruit crop. By a distinguished 
Entomologist. 

No. 15. 

Foes to Fruits. 
How to combat the insect foes of or- 
chard and garden fruits. 

No. 16. 

Garden Insects. 

How to fight them. 

No. 17. 

Small Fruits for Market. 

How to grow them for profit. By O. 
B. Galusha. 

No. 18. 

Corn. 

Most profitable systems of Corn grow- 
ing. By B. F. Johnson. 

No. 19. 

Wheat. 

The most wheat and the most dollars. 
By B. F. Johnson. 



Other numbers will be announced in 
due order on The Horse, The Family 
Cow, Milk for Market and Dairy, Beef 
producing, The Sheep for Mutton and 
Wool, The Hog. The Dog, The Potato, 
Rye, Barley. Oats, Gardening, Sugar 
Production, The Cranberry, Hops, Taxi- 
dermy, Hunting, Fishing, etc., etc. 



For Sale by all Newsdealers and Book-sellers, or sent by mail at 
10 cts. per copy by the publisher 

E. H. LIBBY, Chicago, 111. 






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